At Nine23 we think the second lockdown will encourage businesses to work remotely for the foreseeable future. In March 2020, we made the decision that all staff would work remotely which meant we didn’t need our large office space anymore however, we still believe businesses need a home therefore, we downsized to a workspace.
With or without an office, remote working comes with its implications such as communication, productivity, mental health and security.
Mental Health Impacts of Remote Working
Nine23 recognises lack of social interaction can damage mental health therefore by keeping a premise for an informal workspace where we can come together to collaborate when necessary is important to us. During lockdown, the workspace will be useful for members of staff who can’t work from home. We ensure two zoom conference calls take place daily with all of our staff, one in the morning to discuss workload and one in the afternoon to simply catch up with each other. Encourage using technology to maintain informal conversations between staff via instant message on Microsoft Teams or Slack, just like you would in the office. Top Tip: Get the team together for a virtual quiz to continue socialising out of hours.
Tips for Employers and Leaders on looking after your mental health while working during coronavirus
Cyber Security Challenges of Remote Working
Many organisations are encouraging staff to work from home, but this presents new cyber security challenges. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have published guidance for organisations on what steps to take to manage the challenges of home working:
- Preparing for home working
- Setting up new accounts and accesses
- Controlling access to corporate systems
- Helping staff to look after devices
- Reducing the risk from removable media
- Spotting scam emails linked to the coronavirus
If your organisation has a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy the NCSC have published very useful tips and resources for people using personal IT to work from home, so you can work securely. Check out our secure BYOD solution, FLEXContainer.
Nine23 enable people to work securely from anywhere, get in touch today to find out how we can help you.
Some lessons we have learnt and our continuing to learn:
- Remote working is the future
- Home working comes with cyber security and mental health challenges
Next for Nine23:
Digital Transformation
Cover Photo by BRUNO CERVERA on Unsplash
